The Shrimp Farm is extremely excited to now offer The Red Rili Shrimp. What an exciting "look" this shrimp has. Check it out here and let us know what you think!

The Red Rili Shrimp

Once you decide to push through with your aquarium setup, here are some steps that may help you become successful:

1. Know the kind of fish you want to have.

This is the first important decision you have to make when you start your aquarium setup as different types of fish will need specific care, conditions, equipment, and space requirements. If you buy equipment first before deciding on the kind of fish you would like to keep, then you might end up wasting your money on some equipment that may not be needed by your fish.

2. Find out the appropriate care and compatibility of the selected type of fish.

This is a vital step in your aquarium setup and it is recommended that you look at several references to learn about the kind of fish you wish to have. You have to know the equipment, the needed conditions, and how your tank will be set up. You have to do research on your fish and find out how big they can grow so you can identify the size of the tank they will require to make them healthy and happy. For large fish, you would need 3 gallons of water per 1” of fish, and for small fish, you have to provide 1 gallon per 1” of fish. Fish compatibility is also important to know as some types of fish are not advised to be joined together as they have different temperaments.

3. Identify the needed space.

Once you get to know your fish a little more, you can now determine the tank size and the space you will allocate in your home for your aquarium setup. In finalizing the possible location of your tank, you have to consider the space between the wall and the tank for tubing, cords, filters, and the likes.

4. Finalize your budget.

Determine how much are you willing to spend for your aquarium setup and if this is a hobby that you want to have long term. Cost can vary depending on the size of the aquarium, type of fish, and equipment that would be needed. Consider also the maintenance costs – not just the cost you will incur during your aquarium setup.

5. Choose and purchase the right equipment.

As you decide on the type of fish and the precise equipment you need, you have to canvass the price in different pet stores. Check if your budget is within the expected range of expenses for your aquarium setup. Know what is available and if there are alternatives for your required equipment.

6. Ensure you properly setup equipment.

Once you’re done with the selection and purchasing phase, clean everything before proceeding with your aquarium setup. Once cleaned and all the equipment is set up, fill up your tank with water and let it stand for a few days to ensure that there is no leak and that everything is functioning perfectly.

7. Pick the starting fish.

From your list of fish, choose a few fish to start with. These types of fish should be inexpensive, quite smaller than most kinds, hearty, and the sort of fish you may want to keep for a long time. Bear in mind that your fish will not have significant growth in the next 4 to 8 weeks when your tank will need to be cycled.

8. Select the appropriate decors.

Decors are not just intended for aesthetic reasons, but must be carefully selected to make your fish live more comfortably. Fish use these decors in your aquarium setup for their cover and it is helpful in alleviating their stress. Providing the right decors that will make them feel not exposed and vulnerable and can enhance a more natural behavior, better coloration, and improve the fish well-being. Different types of fish have numerous preferences. Those coming from shallow lakes, ponds, or slow moving rivers may like softer covers like plants while those from the deep and faster moving waters may favor hard covers such as logs, rocks, and other objects that are solid. In choosing decors for your aquarium setup, be careful not to purchase those with toxic components. Some toxins from potentially harmful decors may be released in the water and may affect the oxygen content of the water. Some stones may be too soft and may have the tendency to be chewed by the fish which can lead to its death. Remember that soluble lead may be contained in ceramic items with bright red, yellow, and blue glazes. Items with non-colorfast dyes or inks can also be detrimental to your fish when dissolved in water. Lastly, do not use rubber or plastic items not designed specifically for aquarium setup as they may have dangerous preservatives and chemicals solvents.

9. Perform tank cycling.

You have to be very patient in the next 4 to 8 weeks and must be diligent in maintaining your aquarium setup. Observe your fish carefully, do not over feed them, change the water if necessary, but do not put additional fish in the tank. Up until the time you’re done with tank cycling, you have to stick only with the fish that you first started with.

10. Make sure you maintain your tank.

It is necessary that you feed your fish everyday and try to check their behavior as well to maintain a healthy aquarium. Your filters must be inspected twice a week. Do a 10 to 15% change in water per week while scrubbing for algae. Once a month, check all cords, fittings, clamps, hoses, lights, and other equipment of your aquarium setup. You have to allocate some time to do the inspections to prevent major problems. It will take about 30 minutes to change the water including equipment checkup and algae scrubbing.

When thinking of your aquarium setup, you may also consider including shrimps. Freshwater aquarium shrimps have been known to perfectly match the beauty of several types freshwater aquarium fish. Choosing the right type of shrimp would entail steps like how you choose the right fish for your aquarium setup. Different types of shrimps will have different living condition requirements and it is important that you know about them first before including them in your aquarium setup...

After you have obtained the necessary tank materials, assemble them and place a Styrofoam board underneath it to even out the weight of the tank.  Be sure to level the tank and make sure there are no leaks.  It is highly recommended that you install a 9-watts lighting.  Once your tropical aquarium is set up, you can take care of the aesthetics.  A good-looking tank will fit perfectly well in your place.  Before you even begin, you must choose the specific style you are looking for, there are many ready-made tropical aquariums available which can make your setup much faster.

Here are some of the most popular styles that you can obtain:

1. Planted Tanks

Planted tropical aquariums are typically the preferred tanks especially for first time aquarium owners.  You need to take care of all the plants as much as you would take care of the fish for they are also living beings.  Make sure that you have adequate lighting and an adequate CO₂ supply for the plants, CO₂ is required for the plants to undergo photosynthesis.  You also need to put the right amount of aquarium fertilizers that contain nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium but should only contain a high concentration of potassium to prevent algae growth and fish intoxication.  You can put a variety of decorations like rocks, treasure chests, and many others that would go nicely with the plants and fish.

2. Shrimp Tanks

Many tropical aquariums look nice with a Malayan or Cherry Shrimp.  You can get them from your pet store and obtain the appropriate food for them.  Before you put the shrimp into your tank, you might want to acclimatize the shrimp by putting some water from the tank into a bag where the shrimp is being held.  After 15-20 minutes, you can release all the shrimps into the aquarium.

Your Shrimp tank will look adorable with a nice piece of wood.  However, there are pieces of wood that do not sink immediately and you need to work around it by boiling it a few times or tie some rocks to keep it at the bottom of your aquarium.  The color of the shrimps will be a good contrast to the moss-covered wood.  To add more decorations in your tank, you can put more round rocks of various shapes and sizes.

3. Dutch Style

Dutch style tropical aquariums contain diverse aquatic plants with different colors, texture and sizes which would make it look like a regular flower garden.  As the name suggests, this style was developed in The Netherlands.  This style makes use of neatly trimmed groupings of aquatic plants with most of them having feathery, fine foliage particularly Limnophila aquatica and different types of Hygrophila.  Color highlights are obtained with the use of red-leaved aquatic plants such as Rotala, Ammania gracilis and Alternanthera reinickii.  The aquarium floors are mostly covered with various plants, and tall and thick aquatic plants are used to hide the back side of the aquarium.

4. Nature Style

Nature style tropical aquariums are also called Japanese style aquariums as it was introduced in the 1990s by Takashi Amano, as you might have guessed, a Japanese national.  Amano’s style is centered on copying natural landscapes.  It is a basic Japanese gardening technique.  Most notably, you will notice a miniature landscape having more green as opposed to seeing lots of colors.  The use of driftwood and rocks helps in achieving this desired natural look.  Nature style is based largely on Wabi-sabi - a Japanese aesthetic concept that focuses on minimalism and transience for beauty, and Iwagumi – a set of rules used by Japanese in the proper rock placement.  You will find plenty of leaves including small aquatic ferns, Elocharis acicularis, Hemianthus callitrichoides, Glossostigma elatinoides, Riccia fluitans and Java moss to emphasize the beauty of the style. 

5. Biotopes

Tropical aquariums having biotope style often combine the animal and plant species to achieve the desired look.  This style is used when replicating a certain aquatic habitat from a particular geographic region not necessarily employing a garden-style display.  Fish and plant in this type of aquarium must represent the geographic region being depicted in the biotope aquascape.  Often, this style contains lots of gravel and follows the chemical composition of the water of the geographical region being copied.

6. Paludariums

You will find tropical aquariums with parts of it submersed under the water and some parts above the water.  This type of aquatic tank is referred to as a paludarium where the tank is filled with water only halfway or land regions which are raised above the waterline to achieve the look of the style.  Aquatic plants such as Anubias, bromeliads, Cyperus alternifolius and some Spathiphyllum wallisii have their roots immersed in the water and their tips in the air.  Paludariums are well-suited for keeping amphibians inside tropical aquariums.

7. Saltwater Reefs

Most aquascapes traditionally use fresh water like the Dutch and Nature styles.  Saltwater reefs are made by arranging live rock formations that are used as main structures with corals and plenty of marine invertebrates including coralline algae that serve as the freshwater plant while providing aesthetics.  Tropical aquariums that use this style need appropriate lighting as many corals contain symbiotic fluorescent protozoa also called zooxanthellae.  Intense lighting in these tropical aquariums provides an environment that allows the invertebrates to emit bright colors causing the aquarium to look very colourful and pleasant.

8. Acrylic Aquariums

Tropical aquariums can be given design upgrades using acrylic materials.  Over the last few years, acrylic aquariums have been given spherical, triangular, tubular, L-shaped and even convex shapes.  There are no limits to the shapes and design with acrylic tropical aquariums.  These lightweight tanks have seamless glass designs which can be viewed at all angles.  They are relatively stronger and many use acrylic as it can be patterned into any kind of shape.  Although much more expensive and the surface is more likely to have scratches, this type of tropical aquarium can accentuate the style of your home.

9. Portrait Aquariums

Tropical aquariums made to look like a real portrait are very convenient to have especially when your household has little children running around.  Portrait aquariums are hung on a wall and are generally between 4 feet to 6 feet wide.  They provide live scenic designs in your place and the fish can easily be fed through a feeding hole on top of it.  Since most portrait tropical aquariums are very thin, you can only put a small number of fish inside.

10. In The Wall Tanks

These are tropical aquariums mounted on walls and are generally thin but are thicker than portrait aquariums.  They are typically installed on the wall for more support and reinforcement.  Maintaining these types of tanks is relatively easy with an easy access flap for cleaning and feeding the fish.

Bored of doing the same things every day? It’s always great to try new things and acquire new hobbies. A shrimp aquarium isn’t just a great hobby but is also makes a good decorative addition to any household. Shrimp aquariums are a lot of work to maintain and set up, so it’s a perfect hobby for someone with some time on their hands that is looking to do something new.

2) They make great pets:

If your child is begging you for a pet then you should get them a shrimp aquarium. Shrimp are easier to take care of than a bunny rabbit, dog and hamsters. Shrimp aren’t needy; they don’t need to be taken for a walk 3 times a day and won’t make sounds in the middle of the night that will wake you up. They won’t leave a horrible odor in your home and won’t leave annoying fur everywhere in your home. It’s great having a pet at home, it will give you something to do and they make great companions.

3) Add aesthetic flavor to your home:

A shrimp aquarium is a great way to add appealing décor into a home. It doesn’t matter if you live in a mammoth home or live in studio apartment, adding a shrimp aquarium will add some additional tasteful pizzazz to your home. People have created whole rooms dedicated to shrimp aquariums and for people who lack space in their homes, a shrimp aquarium can be easily installed into your wall to look like painting. Make sure the aquarium is properly lit and contains a beautiful landscape/background.

4) Develop your creativity skills:

Creatively designing a nice shrimp aquarium takes time and effort. Shrimp aquarium owners have many accessories at their disposal, for instance there are many different rocks, wood and statues available at pet shops. In addition plants and background wallpaper can also be added to your aquarium along with multi-colored gravel. Most pet shops even sell mermaids and other awesome accessories. There are always little additions you can make to improve the look of your aquarium; it’s a never ending process with limitless possibilities.

5) Educational reasons:

Kids and adults can both gain knowledge by taking care of a shrimp aquarium. It’s important to learn about a unique ecosystem. Children will love observing the tendencies of the shrimp and plants of the aquarium. Some people also like to add frogs and snails to their aquarium which will only add more educational value to your aquarium, these additions can help parents teach their kids about habitats. Parents can even teach their kids about the different kinds of compounds in the tank.

6) Health reasons:

Shrimp are unique pets which are truly fascinating to watch. It’s therapeutic and relaxing to watch the shrimp effortlessly swim around. A study by Purdue University has found that watching aquatic life swim around relieves stress and lowers blood pressure. Most people feel calm and relaxed while they watch shrimp in an aquarium. Haven’t you ever realized that dentist and even doctors typically have fish in their waiting rooms, this is to calm the nerves of patients. People who have aquariums in their homes tend to sleep and eat better than those that don’t have one. Aquariums have been proven to calm humans and they are beneficial to your health, the same cannot be said for other pets.

7) Plenty of help available:

Is it your first time trying to setup and maintain a shrimp aquarium? Don’t worry, there are tons of forums available online as well as free downloadable e-books, making it even easier for beginners to learn and have their questions answered. Even people who are experts in aquariums can surely find help online.

8 ) Teach kids about responsibility:

Although shrimp aquariums do take some work to maintain, they aren’t as difficult to take care of as other pets such as a dog. To make sure your son or daughter is ready to take care of a dog you can start them off with something easier like a shrimp aquarium. Hopefully they will be able to do a good job and gain a sense of pride and learn how to be more responsible.

9) Doesn’t cost much:

Aquariums are relatively cheap to maintain and shrimp are one of the cheapest aquatic pets available. The amount of money you will spend on a shrimp aquarium and pet shrimp is by far a more inexpensive amount than you would have to spend to keep a dog or a cat as pet. Your shrimp won’t have to go to the vet and gets shots and don’t need expensive treats or toys.

10) Save time and have peace mind:

Having a shrimp aquarium and maintaining it is less time consuming than having another needier pet. You won’t need to wake up in the middle of the night to take your shrimp for a walk and don’t often need to clean after them. Unlike with other pets, pet owners won’t need to constantly worry about their aquatic pet ruining the house. Owners can leave their home and have a peace of mind that everything will be alright when they return.

Don’t forget to learn how to properly take care of a shrimp aquarium before purchasing your pet. You need to set up the tank and buy the suitable food.

Be sure to check back with is in May of 2011 to buy some for your tank!

More information about the snowball shrimp here! And this may be a good time to add some to your tank for only $39.99 for 10!

The 7.9 Gallon all glass aquarium is completely made out of glass, and has bent corners for full viewing!

It included everything you need to get your shrimp habitat started, such as a 13 watt daylight compact fluorescent light, an Ebi Internal Filter with spray bar, Fluval Shrimp Stratum substrate, a molded rock background, telescopic shrimp net, thermometer and sample sized Fluval Shrimp Safe, Fluval Shrimp Mineral Supplement, and Fluval Shrimp Granules.

You will also get the Fluval shrimp Care guide to walk you through the setup and how to care for your new pets!

To buy the Fluval Ebi, Click Here.

Of course we have live shrimp for sale once your tank is all setup!

The diet of snails depends on the size and the species. But most are scavengers that will feed off your plants, but also algae and dead fish. There are a few species that are carnivores, but will only eat animals smaller then them. All in all, the snail is useful to keep your water quality up and controlling algae. But if you are breeding fish, the snails will certainly eat the eggs, so keep them away in this case!

If you are concerned that the snails will eat all your plants, you can rest assured. If your plants are nice and healthy, the snails will leave them alone. They prefer dead leaves, which need to be cleaned up anyway. If you have ever accused snails of kiloing your aquarium plants, chances are that your plant was dying anyway, and the snails came feed off this plant afterward.

If your snails start overtaking your aquarium, you may be feeding your fish too much. Snails like this food as well! Or you may lack some predators. For example, clown loaches are perfect to keep your snail habitation down.

All in all, aquarium snails are a good addition to most tanks!

Fire Red Cherry Shrimp are simply Red Cherry Shrimp that have been selectively bred to display bright and vibrant red color. Over the years the brightest and most colored shrimp that were found amongst the normal Red Cherry Shrimp have been separated and put into their own aquarium.

The striking color of Fire Red Cherry Shrimp are the result of this selective breeding!